Triad Board Approves Tax Levy, Financing Option For Solar Panel Array At Henning

By Steve Rensberry, editor

Members of the Triad Board of Education approved the district’s final aggregate tax levy at their last meeting in December, with the estimated total property taxes to be levied for 2019 listed at $28,572,836.

Because the estimated total property taxes to be levied for 2019 represented an increase greater than 5 percent (5.10 percent), a Truth in Taxation Hearing was held prior to the regular board meeting.

According to the official certificate of tax levy filed with the Illinois Board of Education, the levy  consists of $13,120,600 for education purposes, $2,803,500 for operations and maintenance purposes, $1,121,400 for transporation, $280,400 for a working cash fund, $600,000 for municipal retirement purposes, $615,000 for social security, $2,300,000 for tort immunity, $224,300 for special education, and $280,400 for leasing of education facilities.

Also approved at the Dec. 16 meeting was a resolution authorizing the issuance of debt cetificates with Town and County Bank for the financing of the Triad solar array installation near C.A. Henning, at a cost of $2,739,105.

Triad Director of Business and Communications Mike Raymond said at the time that the final solar array layouts were being determined with site work and rocking to begin, and presented a mock up of what C. A. Henning would look like with the panels (Phase I and II), and with the parking pad for electric buses the district is due to receive.

The district was expecting to receive the panels before the start of the new year.

Superintendent Leigh Lewis said in her report to the board that the district had also received notice of a $40,000 donation from Ameren Illinois for assistance in setting up charging stations at C.A. Henning Elementary School for the three electric buses.